Military Diplomacy

China Navy's 48th Escort Task Force Vessel Tangshan Visits Seychelles

中国海军第48批护航编队唐山舰访问塞舌尔

PLA Daily (解放军报) 27 June 2026

Summary

The PLA Navy's 48th Escort Task Force vessel Tangshan arrived at Victoria Port, Seychelles on June 26 for a five-day port call, with a sub-unit scheduled to participate in the parade marking the 50th anniversary of Seychelles independence. The stop extends a well-documented pattern of the PLA Navy using Gulf of Aden escort rotations as a platform for port diplomacy in the Indian Ocean littoral, but the participation in a national independence parade is a concrete step beyond the standard deck-reception format and documents a deliberate effort to embed PLA presence into a host nation's sovereign ceremonial moment. Seychelles sits astride key Indian Ocean shipping lanes and has hosted Chinese naval vessels before, making this visit a data point in Beijing's incremental normalization of PLA Navy access in the western Indian Ocean.

Translation

VICTORIA, June 27 (Xinhua) (Du Jiangfan, Tan Zhenzhen) — At approximately 0900 local time on June 26, the Chinese Navy's 48th Escort Task Force vessel Tangshan arrived at Victoria Port, Seychelles, for a five-day friendly visit.

Flying the national flags of both China and Seychelles, the naval vessel Tangshan slowly entered Victoria Port at around 0900 local time on the 26th. More than 100 people gathered at the pier to welcome the ship, including representatives of the Seychelles military, teachers and students from Seychelles independent schools, staff of the Chinese Embassy in Seychelles, and representatives of Chinese-funded institutions and overseas Chinese.

During the visit, the task force will conduct professional exchanges, a deck reception, and other activities, and will detail a selected sub-unit to participate in the parade celebrating the 50th anniversary of Seychelles independence.

Original Chinese

新华社维多利亚6月27日电（杜江帆谭振振）当地时间6月26日，中国海军第48批护航编队唐山舰抵达塞舌尔维多利亚港，对塞舌尔进行为期5天的友好访问。当地时间26日9时许，悬挂着中塞两国国旗的海军唐山舰缓缓驶入维多利亚港。塞舌尔军方代表、塞舌尔独立学校师生，中国驻塞舌尔大使馆工作人员、中资机构和华侨华人代表等100余人在码头迎接。访问期间，编队将开展专业交流、甲板招待会等活动，抽组分队参加塞独立50周年庆祝阅兵活动。